Perusall
Ensure your students are prepared for every class.
Overview
Perusall is a platform where instructors can assign readings (textbooks, articles, PDFs) and students collaboratively annotate the text. Students can highlight passages, ask questions, and respond to each other's comments directly within the document. The platform uses AI to automatically grade the quality and timeliness of student annotations, ensuring they complete the reading before class. This transforms reading from a passive, individual activity into an active, social one.
✨ Key Features
- Collaborative annotation of texts, images, and videos
- Automatic grading of student engagement and annotation quality
- Threaded conversations within the document margins
- Confusion Report to identify topics students struggled with
- Integrates with major LMSs for gradebook sync
- Supports textbooks, articles, PDFs, and web pages
🎯 Key Differentiators
- Automatic, AI-driven grading of annotation quality
- Seamless integration with textbook publishers
- Focus on motivating students to complete readings
Unique Value: Motivates students to read material thoroughly and on time by transforming reading into an active, social, and automatically graded experience.
🎯 Use Cases (5)
✅ Best For
- Assigning a chapter from a textbook for students to read and annotate before class
- Analyzing a primary source document collaboratively
- Peer reviewing and commenting on student-written drafts
💡 Check With Vendor
Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:
- Simple document distribution without interaction
- Video-based skill assessment
- Live presentations
🏆 Alternatives
Unlike Hypothesis, which is a more open-source and general-purpose annotation tool, Perusall is a fully integrated platform with a specific pedagogical model and automatic grading designed for classroom use.
💻 Platforms
🔌 Integrations
🛟 Support Options
- ✓ Email Support
- ✓ Dedicated Support (Institution License tier)
🔒 Compliance & Security
💰 Pricing
Free tier: Free to use for instructors and students when using open educational resources or instructor-uploaded content.
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